Mumbai, November 8 (IANS). Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena) faction leader Sanjay Raut on Friday took a dig at the BJP, saying that he too was pressurized to join the BJP, but he did not succumb. Those who ran away became Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers.
In response to a question asked by the media, he said, now this thing is not hidden. Be it Shiv Sena or Nationalist Congress Party. The party leaders have been broken due to the fear of ED. But, we will keep fighting. Now gradually the fear of ED is ending, because Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have lost majority in the Lok Sabha election results. Now ED has also come to the rescue and our struggle will continue in the coming elections, we will keep fighting.
Was there any pressure on the Shiv Sena leader to join BJP? On this he said, there was pressure on me. It was on Anil Deshmukh. Those who ran away became Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. A proposal was put forward whether to go to jail or become the Chief Minister. People chose the path of becoming Chief Minister and Minister, we chose the path of going to jail. Because we are self-respecting and Maharashtra lovers.
Sanjay Raut said, ‘Three years ago I had written a letter to the then Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu. In the letter I had told how pressure is being put on me to join BJP.”
Responding to a video post by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, he said, see, this game of theirs has become old, this game will not work in Maharashtra, this game did not work even in the Lok Sabha elections. In this state neither anyone will be divided nor anyone will be cut. BJP people themselves are divided and talk about dividing others. Yogi Adityanath is going to come to Mumbai, so an announcement has been made in his name that if you divide, you will be divided. Yogi Adityanath has four brothers and they have not met together in 40 years. Who are the people divided? He cannot meet his parents. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath did not attend his father’s death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s family is divided. What will you share and reap?
On the loudspeaker issue raised by MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, “He is still in power. If Raj Thackeray is standing in support of Modi and Shah, then power is in his hands. When he has such a huge power. So who is stopping them? Stop this drama.”
–IANS
DKM/CBT
